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Monday, March 2, 2015

Back to reality this week; snow and hailstones in Dublin after two great boxing-fuelled weeks in Thailand.

With Melissa Ray in Bangkok a few days ago

I caught up with Melissa Ray a few times including going to fights outside MBK department store one evening. Melissa was starting out her adventures in MuayThai in Bangkok around the time I was finishing up. The first time I met her, she was sporting a large bandage over one eye after an elbow-filled fight. She's now retired but still training six days a week at Eminent Air gym and refusing to leave.

It's really great to see so many female fighters blogging about their experiences in Thai gyms now. When I was fighting there were very few women to talk to about boxing, and the internet was barely a baby. It's an easy way of sharing, and as there are still relatively few women involved in the sport I hope the support available online is inspiring everyone.

Melissa has been based in Thailand for about eight years now; mainly in Bangkok but also in the north in Chiang Mai. If you're looking for a perceptive and Thailand-experienced look at MuayThai, her blog is a great source.

Monday, February 16, 2015

I'm taking a holiday! I know blogging lore says you have to update every day but my eyes need a break while I'm away. I'm off to my second home - Thailand. Looking forward to catching some great fights and meeting up with fighters like Sylive von Duuglus Ittu and Kelly Creegan.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Australia's Caley Reece makes the latest cover of International Kickboxer . It's only the second time a woman has cracked that, and yes she was also the first. Not quite as dramatic a front cover as a certain other woman recently, thinking of you Kim Kardashian, but a big step for women in boxing.

International Kickboxer was the first magazine I wrote for as a cub reporter in Sydney, and the 'women's pages' were my home. Back then it was a niche area in a niche sport, so it's hugely exciting to see Reece shining on the cover.

Friday, February 6, 2015

I like watching soccer, male or female it's a great game. It's not one of my favourite sports but how could you knock the skill you see in the highest levels? You have to admit though, those boys earn some money.

The BBC have created this great infographic which really knocks that message home. Users type in salary in their home currency, and the programme works out how long it would take you to earn a soccer-player's income.

We're talking hundreds of years when compared to the top players. Conversely the top flight players would earn the equivalent of my weekly wage in less than an hour. I expected something like that but it's the graph further down the page showing the ENORMOUS gap between male and female players which is truly depressing:

Yaya Toure earns 221 times more than England women's captain Steph Houghton, who is reportedly on £50,000 a year.

Cristiano Ronaldo earns 83 times more than Alex Morgan, one of the
highest-paid female footballers in the US, who is reportedly on $282,000
a year.

Angel Di Maria earns 290 times more than England women's captain Steph Houghton, who is reportedly on £50,000 a year.

Arjen Robben earns 34 times more than Alex Morgan, one of the highest-paid female footballers in the US, who is reportedly on $282,000 a year.

In general on this blog I try to be unbiased, but when it comes to the national teams it's hard not to barrack for the girls in green. Lots of changes this year for them - new coach Tom Tierney takes over from Philip Doyle, Niamh Briggs as captain in place of the retired Fiona Coghlan and many new faces on the benches.

Exciting times for all the teams really as managers look ahead to Rio2016. It's a different game there of course - rugby 7s, but in reality it will be mainly if not all players from these national squads.

I'm a little disappointed to see the Irish home games are back in Ashbourne, Co Meath and away from Dublin again. I love going to Ashbourne, there is always a great atmophere and lots of support from the local club which hosts the games, but it would be great to have better access to crowds.

However, that niggle aside I'm looking forward to a few weeks of high-class rugby. England dominated this tournament winning seven times, but with France taking it last year and Ireland the year before who knows what could happen for 2015?